Consumer Reports used a standard three points test to see how much force the phones can withstand until they show a permanent deformation. The tests started at 60 pounds of force and continued in 10 pounds increments until deformation. The devices in the test group were the HTC One (M8), LG G3, and Galaxy Note 3, and three iPhones: 5, 6, and 6 Plus.

Here’s the breakdown of the results:

Deformation

Case separation

HTC One (M8)

70 pounds

90 pounds

Apple iPhone 6

70 pounds

100 pounds

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

90 pounds

110 pounds

LG G3

130 pounds

130 pounds

Apple iPhone 5

130 pounds

150 pounds

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

150 pounds

150 pounds

The beefy Note 3 is, unsurprisingly, at the top of the chart, with more than double the amount of force an iPhone 6 or One (M8) can take. The LG G3, while thin and light for its size, is very strong as well, as is the iPhone 5, with its straight metal edges.

The larger iPhone 6 Plus is actually stronger than the iPhone 6, which seems to contradict numerous reports about Apple’s phablet being easier to bend. The aluminum unibody M8 shares the last place with the iPhone 6.

To get an idea of the kind of forces we’re talking about, Consumer Reports says it takes 80 pounds of force to break four pencils, a feat that many people will find very difficult.

So, what’s going on here? Was Unbox Therapy’s bent iPhone a fluke or a conspiracy to make Apple look bad? Probably not. It’s possible that the Consumer Reports’ test doesn’t reflect the load that Unbox Therapy was able to apply in their tests. In fact, the channel did another bend test, this time shot in a single cut, to proof that there wasn’t any foul play involved in the original video.

The results are exactly the same as: the 6 Plus caves in relatively easily, while the new Moto X doesn’t even creak.

Consumer Reports didn’t test other types of loads that a smartphone can bear, like twisting, and ultimately fails to explain why some people reported that their devices warped or bent after simply sitting in their pockets.

Over the past hours, we’ve brought you comparisons between Apple’s new iPhones and the Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8), and the LG G3. Now it’s time for another quick look, and this time we have two heavyweights in the ring: the iPhone 6 Plus and the Galaxy Note 3.

While the Note 3 is a year old, it’s still the device to beat for Apple’s new-fangled large screen iPhone 6 Plus. The Note 4 is just around the corner, but until its release next month, the Note 3 remains the epitome of what a large phone should be.

Time to see who comes on top in our iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 3 quick look comparison!

Design

The iconic design of our two contenders is recognizable around the world. The iPhone 6 Plus is just a larger rendition of a concept that has remain virtually unchanged for years – the circular home button, the rounded corners, the top and bottom antenna lines on the back, all make a return.

Samsung has more experience in designing and building large phones, and that shows in the streamlined lines of the Note 3 and its large screen-to-footprint ratio. The iPhone 6 Plus falls short in this respect.

The large bezels at the top and bottom of the iPhone 6 Plus – while necessary to accommodate the Touch ID home button and to preserve the form factor – make the 6 Plus much larger than it needs to be. The 6 Plus is actually larger than the Note 3, even if its screen is 0.2 inches smaller. Even if it’s a bit thicker than the iPhone, the Note looks more compact, for the same reason.

The Note 3 features a plastic build with a faux leather texture on the back. This mimicry, and especially the faux stitching going around the phone’s edges, is polarizing among users. However, the leathery texture does give the Note 3 an excellent grip in hand.

The metal body of the iPhone feels very premium, and makes for a durable device, as we’ve seen in our earlier drop test. The rounded edges are a nice departure from the rigid shape of past generations, and help the phone sit very comfortably in hand. The metal is a bit slippery though, while the protruding camera will cause the phone to wobble when used on flat surfaces like a desk top.

To sum up, the iPhone 6 Plus may be more tastefully designed, but the Note 3 has a bigger screen in a smaller body, which is an important feature in this product category.

Display

The biggest difference in the display department is the technology underlying the screens of the two phones. Samsung uses a Full HD AMOLED screen with deep blacks and colors that just pop, while Apple has an LCD screen of the same resolution that is a bit more restrained in terms of saturation. It doesn’t take an expert to notice the difference – picking one approach over the other boils down to personal preference, though the Note 3 offers a way to tone down color saturation, so it’s more flexible in this regard.

Both displays are crisp, viewing angles are great, and brightness is excellent, though we feel the Note 3 has a slight edge. Regardless, these truly are the best that LCD and AMOLED technologies have to offer, at least until the Note 4 comes along next month.

Performance and hardware

At a high level, the Note 3 has a more impressive spec sheet. We can’t forget though that we’re talking about very different platforms and ecosystems, so the difference in performance may not be as clear cut as spec sheets alone would indicate.

The 6 Plus comes with a dual-core A8 processor and 1GB of RAM, but that’s enough to make the device fly through the user interface and apps. The Note 3 is no slouch either, even if it’s already a year old – the Snapdragon 800 remains a top processor, which helped by the 3 GB of RAM, makes easy work out of most tasks. With that said, some optimization on the software side would probably make it run even smoother.

You get 16, 64, or 128GB of storage on the iPhone 6 (though the top configuration will cost you a pretty penny). The Note 3 only hits 64GB, with the microSD card slot available to make up the difference.

While the Note series has had NFC for years, Apple just adopted it for its new iPhone, but there’s a catch – the chip is locked, so it’s only useful for the Apple Pay service for now.

Like the iPhone 5S, the 6 Plus incorporates a fingerprint scanner in its home button, which should make life easier if you’re concerned about security. Samsung only introduced a similar feature on the Galaxy S5, so you will need to wait for the Note 4 to enjoy it.

When it comes to battery life, the Note 3 is one of the leading devices, and it will be interesting to see how the iPhone 6 Plus competes. The Note 3 has a 3oo mAh advantage in battery capacity, so it will probably outrace the iPhone in longevity. Plus, the battery is removable, so a spare unit could further extend usage.

Camera

The Note 3 comes with a 13MP rear camera that does a great job in bright scenes, with crisp details and fine color reproduction. This camera is also known for its good macros, solid video, and a ton of software features and options.

It’s in low-light conditions that the Note 3 shows its limits, which is a problem that is common on many smartphones, especially when there’s no OIS to prevent noise.

Apple stuck to 8MP for the rear camera of the iPhone 6 Plus, but the sensor is supposedly all new. Thanks to a tech called Focus Pixels, this camera should be able to focus almost instantly, which can be helpful in a variety of situations. Plus, there’s optical image stabilization, which you don’t get on the Note.

8MP is at the low limit of smartphone camera technology today, so if larger, more detailed pics is something you want, the Note 3 is the way to go. If top notch image quality is what you’re after, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 6 Plus.

Software

The Note 3’s software features revolve around the S Pen stylus – features like Air Command, S Note, floating apps, Scrapbook, S Finder, handwriting recognition are all made possible by the handy little stylus that hides in the Note 3’s slot.

Samsung is making good use of screen real estate with the Multi-Window feature, which lets you open up two apps at a time. Floating apps lets you pin small utility apps like calculator or S Note on the screen for easy access.

But the S Pen can be useful across the operating system, whenever precision is important. Plus, it’s a great tool if you love to doodle or handwrite your notes.

The iPhone 6 Plus comes with the same colorful interface introduced last year, but with a bevy of new features that bring iOS closer to Android in terms of functionality. Features like widgets, custom keyboards, app extensions, and app battery usage breakdown are welcome additions. Continuity is something that you don’t get on Android out of the box – the ability to start a task on the iPhone and continue on a compatible Mac or iPad seems really cool, but of course, you need to be deep into Apple’s ecosystem to really enjoy it.

Overall, the iPhone 6 Plus is a competent device, but the Note 3 is the better productivity device, with its powerful stylus and multitasking features. Samsung has figured out ways to use the large screen to its fullest, while the 6 Plus is mostly just a larger version of the iPhone 6.

Wrap up

We won’t issue a verdict after this quick look, but we’ll do list the features that we think tip the scale in favor of one device or the other. The Note 3 comes ahead thanks to its compact build and larger screen, larger, removable battery and microSD card slot (though not all users care about that), more hardware features, and especially the S Pen and all its software features. The iPhone 6 Plus has a premium build and a solid unibody construction, a fingerprint scanner, a great camera, and a fine-tuned operating system.

Who comes on top in your opinion? List your pros and cons in the comments!

Cases have become a necessity with today’s smartphones, so it’s obvious as to why people flock to drop tests to see if a smartphone is durable enough to last without a case. So protection plan company SquareTrade has pitted four of the most popular smartphones on the market in a test to see which would come out as the most durable smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy S4, Moto X and Apple’s iPhone 5S and 5C were first pitted against each other in a 5 foot drop test onto their sides on concrete, where the Samsung Galaxy S4’s display did not shatter, but instead separated from the rest of the casing and was rendered unusable.

The Moto X only suffered a small dent on the corner and was still functional. The iPhone 5S also survived the drop test with minimal cosmetic damage while the iPhone 5C’s display shattered, but was still functional.

In the next test the four smartphones were slid across a wooden table to see how far they’d slide. The Moto X did very well in this test, sliding only 3 feet across the table.The iPhone 5C came in second, sliding 3.4 feet across the table, the Galaxy S4 came third, sliding 4 feet across the table and the iPhone 5S came in last, sliding right off of the table.

The Moto X passed the tests with flying colors.

The final test was the water resistance test where the four smartphones were dunked into the water for 10 seconds while playing a video. The Moto X again passed the test with flying colours proving to be fully functional after the water test. The iPhone 5S and 5C also remained fully functional while the S4 shut itself off.

Check out SquareTrade’s video testing the durability of the four smartphones and then check out our own drop tests of the Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5S and 5C.

Longtime readers know that we have a penchant for sending brand new phones to their demise. We did it to Android flagships like the Galaxy Note 2, the Nexus 7, or the HTC One, and to Apple devices like the iPhone or the iPad Mini. We admit that sometimes we went overboard with the “testing”, but that’s another story.

But are all plastic phones that flimsy? Apple gave us the perfect opportunity to test this with the dual release of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, two very similar devices that differ through their build material. The 5s is the same aluminum you probably know already, while the 5c is, in the words of Jony Ive, “beautifully, unapologetically plastic”.

Our Joshua Vergara took to Hong Kong to pit the iPhone 5s versus the iPhone 5c in our trademark drop test. Will metal prevail again? Will the 5c’s steel-reinforced polycarbonate unibody help it survive the drops?

To simulate the accidents that occur in real life, we dropped the two iPhones from chest level, on their backs and on their sides, while in the final drop we went for the dreaded frontal impact. These are the results.

So, there you have it. Apple’s tooling and manufacturing processes for their high-end iPhone 5s continue to impress. We have further evidence to support the “metal is more durable and therefore superior” belief. With the iPhone 5C, you’ve got a phone that simply will not hold up in the same way as its higher end sibling.

And for you – would you like to see more manufacturers adopt higher quality build materials like those found in the HTC One or the iPhone 5S? Let us know, down below.

Straight out of Shenzhen, the GooPhone i5c features a dual-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 512MB of RAM, a 4-inch 960 x 540 display, and a 2000 mAh battery. The phone runs Android 4.2 with an iOS 7 skin on top. Naturally, five colors are available at launch.

If you’re wondering why nobody sued GooPhone out of existence, our best guess is “that’s how things go in China”.

Here’s what’s been going on in your world of Android this week: we got to see the upcoming Nexus, the new iPhones left us mostly unfazed, we discussed the pros and cons of 64-bit chips, Hugo Barra filled us in on his plans at Xiaomi, and got a few more details about the HTC One Max.

These are the essential stories, the summary of an entire week in just a few phrases. It’s must read Android.

New Nexus leak bonanza

If you still had any doubts that the new Nexus smartphone is coming from LG, the leaks this week should put them to rest. We even got to see the device, courtesy of the FCC.

]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/must-read-android-top-september-15-268964/feed/13What’s your take on the new iPhones? Do they change anything for Android?http://www.androidauthority.com/new-iphones-friday-debate-268784/
http://www.androidauthority.com/new-iphones-friday-debate-268784/#commentsFri, 13 Sep 2013 20:47:35 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=268784

On this edition of the Friday Debate, we discuss the main event of the week in the tech world, the launch of the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Love them or hate them, Apple has a huge influence on the mobile industry and directly or not, on Android. So, how are the new iPhones changing the game? Do they change anything at all? Did anything impress you in particular at the launch event on Tuesday? Where’s Android now that Apple showed its cards?

Join us in the discussion, vote in our poll, and sound off in the comments!

Gary Sims

Apple’s announcement this week left me simultaneously thrilled and disappointed. Thrilled because the move to 64-bit computing is a huge advance and Apple are even ahead of ARM itself in terms of developing silicon that implements the ARMv8 instruction set, kudos to Apple.

But the iPhone 5S is literally what it says on the tin, a faster version of the iPhone 5. In a market where Apple’s rival are selling millions of smartphones in a huge variety of form factors, all Apple can do is release a phone that is a little faster than last year’s model and expect it to satisfy its consumers until late 2014!

As for the iPhone 5C it is only is a $100 or so less (depending on the country) than the iPhone 5S. But it still costs $549. The Nexus 4, which is far superior to the 5C costs just $199 at the moment. Who would buy an iPhone 5C for more than twice the money for only half the phone. OK, the Nexus 4 doesn’t have LTE but there are loads of Android phones which do and are still cheaper than the iPhone 5C (including the Galaxy Note 2, HTC One mini and Galaxy S3 to name but a few). Disappointing all round.

Also it seems Wall Street isn’t happy either, just look at Apple’s share price. Are Apple living in a little bubble where it thinks that consumers will buys its products no matter what it releases?

Ankit Banerjee

The Apple announcement of the iPhone 5S, and the new, colorful, iPhone 5C, didn’t feature anything more than what we’d expected would happen anyway.

As far as the iPhone 5S is concerned, there’s nothing more I have to say about the move to 64-bit computing, that hasn’t been debated about by everybody, everywhere, already. While not particularly useful right away, this shift is more about future-proofing the device, and Apple has to be given props for that. The fingerprint scanner/unlock feature, if accurate, should be really helpful, and save people the trouble of having to type in a pass code every time they want to unlock their device. Overall, the iPhone 5S, seemingly just a faster version of the iPhone 5, met expectations. Of course, how high those expectations actually were, is another issue.

The iPhone 5C on the other hand, is a whole other story. The idea may have been good – a cheaper iPhone version “for the masses,” that replaces the iPhone 5. Except, the 5C isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination, and the company is way off base with the pricing if their target audience is in fact emerging markets around the world. Unless you don’t like the “boring” black, silver, and gold options, and are looking for something particularly colorful, I can’t seem to find any reason to recommend the iPhone 5C to anyone.

Joseph Hindy

The iPhone 5s and 5c are a mess of contradictions, which seems to reflect Apple as a whole right now. For every really awesome thing they do with these devices, you can find one equally terrible thing they do with these devices. So the question shouldn’t be whether or not these phones are good, but what sacrifices are people willing to make to own one.

For instance, the iPhone 5c comes in various colors and they have a set of cases to create a two-tone color scheme. That’s really nifty. The cases look like Crocs. That really not nifty. The iPhone 5s comes in a new color (gold). However, it’s exactly the same design as last year’s model, which is bad.

The 5c is supposed to be the cheap one and you can get it for $99 on contract -the cheapest an iPhone has ever been at launch. However, the unlocked price is still outrageous. The iPhone 5c is also $200 more expensive in China, a market they’re desperately trying to get into.

The list goes on and on. In reality, there is only one really awesome feature that I commend Apple for having and that’s the 64-bit CPU. Yes, as others have pointed out, all phones will have this tech by next year. However, for the first time in a couple of years, Apple beat Android to the punch on this one and for that they should get sincere congratulations. Whether people want to admit it or not, every Android device that comes out from now until 64-bit architecture is achieved on ARM is going to carry the question, “will it be 64-bit?”

It won’t last forever, but for a short time, when people ask if new Android devices will be 64-bit like the newest iPhone, the answer will be no. For the first time in a long time, Apple has something Android does not currently have. For that, they deserve a kudos. It won’t last forever, but being the only one in tech to have something rarely does.

To close out this rambling, the iPhone 5c and 5s will give Apple a boost in the short term and may be the hottest selling iPhone to date. Unfortunately, this is Apple’s HTC One. It brings some publicity and a boost in sales in the short term, but is not a platform that Apple can use to recover the market share they’ve lost in recent years. It’s a great effort, but they’ll need to do better next year!

Derek Scott

The new iPhones left much to be desired. I had to do a double look at the iPhone 5S specs, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Why they didn’t make a bigger display is beyond me.

I feel as if they had their release plan made years ago and they failed to adapt to the market conditions. They did adapt a bit by introducing the 5C but that looks like it is going to be an epic fail because of the price point.

I predict the iPhone 5C to be a total flop and I believe the iPhone 5S sales will be dull.

You were once miles ahead of everyone, others caught up, others then pulled ahead. By this time next year you will be so far behind the pack that it will be embarrassing.

On the bright side at least you have the iPad and make some good computers ;)

Brad Ward

The iPhone 5S and 5C are complete disappointments. After the iPhone 5, I was 100% sure Apple was going to get back in the game this year. Guess that didn’t happen.

Looking at the iPhone 5S, we get that same 4-inch screen that leaves so much more to be desired. After all, 5-inch displays are quickly becoming the standard, a standard that Apple failed to adapt to. Again.

The fingerprint scanner? That was cool, but it’s not like it’s exclusive to Apple products only. In just a few short months, we’ll see them on a couple of high-end Android devices.

As for the iPhone 5C, I wanted to facepalm. It looks like a total copy off of Xiaomi’s phones. When Xiaomi makes it the U.S., I’m not going to be surprised when Apple fires up a lawsuit, claiming the Xiaomi’s devices look similar to the iPhone 5C. Give me break, Apple.

I’m not looking forward to what the next iPad will bring to the table. At least they make good computers, though. That’s gotta count for something, eh? Maybe not.

Adam Koueider

The iPhone 5C is a mockery of all that Apple has stood for in the past so I’m not even going to try and debate about it because I think we can all agree that it’s not worth anybody’s time.

The iPhone 5S on the other hand, is a much more int… er… well, it’s more of a phone. Apple didn’t change up the design, but that’s okay since the iPhone 5 was already a well designed and well built device.

The processor on the new iPhone will be on par with the Snapdragon 600 and again, iOS ran perfectly smooth on the iPhone 5 anyways so that isn’t a huge improvement.

The two big features Apple will be selling the iPhone on are 64-bit and fingerprint scanning. Personally, I’ve never required a 256-bit encrypted smartphone to protect my Angry Birds cloud saves and I don’t really care about the fingerprint scanner either. Sure it’s different, and perhaps if it works as well as Apple says it is it might be worth it, but for me it just isn’t something I require (I don’t even use a passcode).

Next up on the features list is the 64-bit OS. Apple used the words “It took the PC industry years to move to 64-bit, but we are going to do it in one day.” No you’re not Apple. Very few developers will make use of the 64-bit OS and the truth is iOS isn’t an OS which requires 64-bit anyways.

However, if we are looking at the bigger picture we realize that this is the first step in Apple’s move away from intel with its Mac lineup. But if we take a look at the phone itself, well then 64-bit is just a marketing dot point which allows Apple to claim it has done something revolutionary, which it has, it’s just not THAT revolutionary yet.

Battery life is on par with the iPhone 5 and the screen is still at 4-inches large, which I’m fine with, but if you’re going to stick with a small display at least offer the iPhone 5C as your larger display option. People want larger displays, and Apple is missing a large market here.

All in all, the iPhone 5S is a great smartphone. Is it groundbreaking? No, but it’ll appease the iPhone users until next year, when Apple unveils the 4.5-inch iPhone 6, and they start crowing about how Apple’s done it again.

What do YOU think?

]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/new-iphones-friday-debate-268784/feed/131Will the iPhone 5S and 5C change the smartphone game as we know it? Not likelyhttp://www.androidauthority.com/iphone-5s-5c-game-changing-267594/
http://www.androidauthority.com/iphone-5s-5c-game-changing-267594/#commentsTue, 10 Sep 2013 22:54:49 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=267594

As some of you might already know, Apple held a big press event earlier today, unveiling to the world the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. As to be expected, Apple fans are going wild with anticipation, as they eagerly await for the dynamic duo to ship later this month.

Apple always does a fantastic job of hyping up its new devices, and today’s unveiling was no exception. In reality, does the iPhone 5S and 5C change the smartphone game in any major way? Probably not.

The iPhone 5C, and what it means for the budget market

The iPhone 5C isn’t your run of the mill budget phone, at least not in terms of pricing. In fact, the iPhone 5C is not much cheaper than many Android flagships! According to Apple’s online store, the iPhone 5C 16GB model will cost $549, off contract. The 32GB model runs even steeper, at $649.

To put the pricing into perspective, let’s take a look at Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and HTC’s One. Looking strictly at Google Play’s store pricing, the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S4 GPe is $649 and the 32GB HTC One GPe is $599.

The iPhone 5C isn't your run of the mill budget phone, at least not in terms of pricing. In fact, the iPhone 5C is not much cheaper than many Android flagships!

Not only are these Android handsets similarly priced to iPhone 5C, but their quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPUs beat out Apple’s dual-core A6 processor in just about every possible way. The same pretty much applies to the rest of the iPhone 5C’s specs when put against the GS4 and One.

Bottom-line, the iPhone 5C might have lower-end specs than the iPhone 5S, but its pricing is really more in-line with a mid-range or high-end Android device.

Let’s face it, $500+ is a lot to pay for a so-called budget device, particularly in developing markets, such as China. This is especially true when you can get considerably more powerful Android-powered devices for around the same price, or similarly spec’d handsets for nearly half the price.

That said, the on-contract pricing for the iPhone 5C is much easier to swallow.

At $99 with contract, the iPhone 5C (16GB) could steer away quite a few postpaid customers that are looking for a well-known handset, without paying much upfront to get it. While carriers have always sold older iPhones as ‘cheaper’ options, the iPhone 5c has the advantage of being a new device that will probably be marketed heavily.

If I had to take a guess, I’d say the iPhone 5C will be a somewhat popular device that steals a small portion of the mid-range and budget market, but ultimately won’t affect Android’s lower-end market dominance all that much. Of course, I’m no analyst and am willing to admit I could be wrong.

The world’s first 64-bit handset, the iPhone 5S

The iPhone 5S is not only is the world’s very first 64-bit smartphone, but it also introduces a fingerprint reader, a slightly more premium design and overall improved specs. Apple fans are going to love it, and it could even sway some Android users and/or Apple fans that have been on the fence about which ecosystem to stand behind.

Is this the holy grail that will push Apple ahead when it comes to innovation, and will it help them regain a larger chunk of the international market? Doubtful.

As Nate Swanner said in an earlier post, the iPhone 5S’s switch to 64-bit architecture is “a bit like jumping out to an early lead in a race against Usain Bolt.” In other words, Apple might have the lead in some areas (64-bit processor) with the iPhone 5S, but it won’t last for long!

In the short-term, the iPhone 5S is a reasonably impressive 64-bit handset that could certainly give current Android handsets some renewed competition. Enough to tip the scales long-term? Only time will tell, though I wouldn’t bet on it.

Conclusion

Back to the original question: Do the new Apple handsets really change the smartphone game in any noticeable way? For Apple, it certainly opens up a new window of opportunity, as they can now advertise their ecosystem as coming in two distinct flavors.

The iPhone 5C will appeal to those on-contract buyers that are very interested in Apple’s ecosystem, but don’t want to put a lot down to take an iPhone home. On the other hand, the iPhone 5S will appeal more to the dedicated Apple users out there, the ones that absolutely need Apple’s latest and greatest.

When it comes to changing the smartphone game for Android? Not so much.

Sure, Apple might make some small gains in terms of global marketshare thanks to having two new offerings, but ultimately some folks want and enjoy Apple’s walled garden – and others are more interested in the openness of the Android platform. I don’t see either of these phones changing that dynamic any.

Apple’s new handsets aren’t personally my cup of tea, but to each their own. What do you think of Apple’s new handsets? In your opinion, will the new iPhones have any measurable impact, in terms of marketshare gain?

For the first time ever, Apple announced a new lower-cost iPhone model meant to compete against the plethora of mid-ranged and entry-level Android handsets out there.

In what follows, we have compared the iPhone 5C with three new “mini” handsets from Samsung, HTC and Motorola (the Galaxy S4 mini, the HTC One mini and the Droid Mini) – we will note that the comparison could include a variety of other mid-range devices from other handset makers, but we focused only on what should be the high-end models of the mid-range gang, at least according to this year’s standards.

We’ll also remind you that the Xperia Z1 mini is rumored to launch in the near future, an Android smartphone that’s rumored to be the first mini to pack an actual punch – which means offering the same specs and features of its corresponding high-end brother (in this case the Xperia Z1) placed in a more compact body. Because it’s not official yet, we left out the Xperia Z1 mini for now. We also left out a variety of 2012 Android flagship devices that could be considered to be mid-range handsets by this year’s standards.

iPhone 5c

Galaxy S4 mini

HTC One mini

Droid mini

Maker

Apple

Samsung

HTC

Google

Size (mm)

124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97

124.6 x 61.3 x 8.9

132 x 63.2 x 9.3

121 x 61.3 x 8.9

Weight (g)

132

107

122

130

Display

4-inch

4.3-inch

4.3-inch

4.3-inch

Type

LCD

Super AMOLED

LCD

TFT

Resolution

1136 x 640

960 x 540

1280 x 720

1280 x 720

PPI

326

256

342

342

CPU

A6

Snapdragon 400

Snapdragon 400

X8 System

RAM

N/A

1.5GB

1GB

2GB

Storage

16/32GB

8GB

16GB

16GB

MicroSD

No

Yes

No

No

Camera

8MP

8MP

4MP

10MP

Second camera

1.2MP

1.9MP

1.6MP

2MP

Wi-Fi

802.11 a/b/g/n

802.11 a/b/g/n

802.11 a/b/g/n

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Bluetooth

4

4

4

4

LTE

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

NFC

No

Yes

No

Yes

GPS

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery

N/A

1900mAh

1800mAh

2000mAh

Battery standby

250 hours

300 hours

692 hours

N/A

Fingerprint scanner

No

No

No

No

OS

iOS 7

Android 4.2.2

Android 4.2.2

Android 4.2.2

Price (w/contract)

Starts at $99

N/A

Starts at $99.99

Starts at $99.99

As you can see in the table above, the iPhone 5C is fairly similar in size and weight with the selected Android competitors. When it comes to screen size, the iPhone 5C has a 4-inch display, while everyone else comes with a 4.3-inch screen.

Furthermore, the devices have similar connectivity options, and almost matching storage options.

Just like in the previous comparison, camera performance is also more difficult to judge by looking only at specs, and will require actual camera samples for a more accurate comparison.

Unlike the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5C doesn’t have a 64-bit processor or a fingerprint reader, and it’s generally an updated version of the iPhone 5, a phone which it replaces in Apple’s lineup – the company will sell three iPhone models this year: iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and iPhone 4S.

That said, while this is only a first specs comparison between these devices – and we’ll follow up with a more detailed battle between them once iPhone 5C is launched – we’ll remind you that specs alone don’t tell the whole story of a smartphone.

Also one important point to remember is that while these devices seem to have the same on-contract price, the iPhone 5C is actually far from being a “mini” when it comes to full price. The phone’s unlocked price starts at $549.99 for the 16GB version, which is a lot more than initially expected.

On the same note, prices for Android devices drop with carriers depending of the age of the handset – an argument that’s valid for all Android devices whether they’re high-end, mid-range or entry-level. In other words, Android devices will always beat iPhone models when it comes to off-contract prices.

With all that in mind, what mid-range device would you rather choose? Will you go for any of the models in the table above, or would you opt for a former flagship that’s now much cheaper in stores?

Apple on Tuesday unveiled its 2013 iPhone models – the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C – that will soon become the main rivals for Android devices.

For the first time ever, Apple decided to launch two new iPhone versions, a high-end device (iPhone 5S) and a lower-priced handset (iPhone 5C), and in what follows we’re going to check out each new device.

The company did say that by the end of September it will have activated over 700 million iOS devices, although not all of them are iPhones, and it looks like it has big plans for the upcoming devices as well.

iPhone 5C

As expected, the iPhone 5C introduced by Apple looks identical to the devices shown in various leaks and rumors preceding the event.

We’re looking at a plastic design – a single piece of material is used for the back and sides – which comes in five distinct colors, including yellow, pink, blue, white and green.

According to the company, the case is made of hard-coated polycarbonate and hides a steel-reinforced frame that acts as the antenna of the device.

Specs and features

When it comes to actual specs, the iPhone 5C will remind users of the iPhone 5:

Moreover, a special case is available for the iPhone 5C, which will cost $29.

The phone will be available for pre-order starting with September 13 and launch on September 20 in various countries including USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Singapore and China.

iPhone 5S

The name of the high-end iPhone is, as expected, iPhone 5S.

The device is made of high-grade aluminum and has chamfered edges. Unlike the iPhone 5, the new iPhone 5S will not be available in just two colors. Instead, Apple will sell three color versions of its handset including Silver, Gold and “Space Grey.”

Specs and features

The specs of the iPhone 5S have also been widely discussed in unconfirmed reports before the announcement. Many of them have been confirmed by Apple on stage, so let’s check them out:

Apple A7 64-bit chip – the first smartphone in the world to have a 64-bit “desktop class” CPU. It will run both 32-bit and 64-bit apps. The company says it will offer a 40x CPU performance and 56x faster graphics than the original smartphone.

Apple M7 motion coprocessor – “continuously measures motion data” from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. A new CoreMotion API is available and will identify user movement and offer “optimizations based on contextual awareness

fingerprint scanner in the Home button (touch ID capacitive sensor, 170 microns thin, 500ppi resolution, scans sub-epidermal skin layers and offers 360-degree readability). The feature can be used to unlock the handset but also perform various tasks in apps (support for multiple fingerprints is included).

Home button made of laser-cut sapphire crystal with a stainless steel detection ring around it

Fingerprint software protects fingerprint with encryption, and the fingerprint is not available to other apps, and it’s not stored on Apple’s servers.

Release date and pricing

The iPhone 5S will also be available starting with September 20 in the same markets where the iPhone 5C will sell. The iOS 7 iLife and iWork suits are also available free of charge with each iPhone 5S prices.

As for prices, the iPhone 5S will cost $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB) and $399 (64GB). Its special cases are priced at $39.

Wrap up

As you can see, Apple has not revealed all the hardware details about its new smartphones, which is in line with previous iPhone announcements.

Similarly, the new iPhones will not beat the competition when it comes to hardware – Apple has never played in the specs race game. That said, the new iOS smartphones will certainly put up a more than decent fight against Android, and we’ll certainly pit the iPhone 5S against the flagship Android devices from Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola and others, while the iPhone 5C will find its sparing partners in the plethora of mini versions of various Android high-end devices.

On a related note, we’ll also note that in addition to the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5S models, the iPhone 4S will still remain in Apple’s lineup, and it’ll be available free of charge with new contracts.